Research and analysis

Research examining customers’ experiences of DWP’s complaints process

Published 24 March 2026

Authored by Verian: Samantha Outhwaite and Alice Coulter

1. Executive summary

1.1 Research context and methodology

Research context

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has over 20 million customers using its services^{[footnote 1]}. In the financial year 2024 to 2025, Customer Satisfaction was 87%^{[footnote 2]}, a 2 percentage point increase from the financial year 2023 to 2024 when Customer Satisfaction was 85%^{[footnote 3]}, exceeding DWP’s “Good” benchmark of 85%.

Of its 20 million customers, in the financial year 2024 to 2025 DWP received around 23,700 complaints, less than 1% of the number of people supported by DWP’s benefits and services. Large service delivery organisations in the public and private sectors typically monitor and publish the number of complaints they receive, although they may have different definitions of complaints and procedures for handling and counting complaints. For example, in the financial year 2024 to 2025 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reported they received over 90,000 Tier 1 complaints^{[footnote 4]}, the National Health Service (NHS) received over 256,700 written complaints^{[footnote 5]}, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) dealt with over 26,200 unique complaint cases^{[footnote 6]}. DWP is no exception and publishes volumes of complaints received^{[footnote 7]}.

Whilst the number of complaints is low in comparison to the DWP’s caseload, in order to improve and enhance services, the department commissioned Verian, an independent research organisation, to undertake 40 qualitative research with customers. The purpose of the research was to identify areas for improvements to the delivery and quality of services by gaining a better understanding of customers’ behaviours, motivations, and potential barriers to complaining, as well as their experiences of the complaints process. The research focused on customers who had raised a complaint or expressed dissatisfaction and so the findings are mainly negative. It should be noted, however, this research involved a very small number of customers and does not represent the experiences of all DWP customers, the majority of whom are satisfied with the services received.

The complaints procedure

It is important to contextualise the findings with the complaints procedure to understand the formal stages complainants experienced. The procedure can be found at on GOV.UK^{[footnote 8]} and is as follows:

When a customer contacts DWP about an issue with the service they have received, DWP will work initially to resolve the issue before raising it to a formal complaint. If the customer is unhappy with the outcome, or with the way DWP has worked to resolve the issue, the customer can ask for the complaint to go to a senior manager to escalate as a formal complaint. The informal complainants who participated in this research are likely to have had an issue with the service they have received, but did not have any recorded formal complaint. It is also likely that the formal complainants who participated in this research have been through this initial stage before their issue became a formal complaint.

Following a complaint to the senior manager, a dedicated member of the Complaints team will then contact the customer within 15 working days, usually by phone, to talk about the complaint and agree how to investigate it. The Complaints team will tell the customer the outcome or when they can expect a response. A final response outlining the outcome of the complaint is then issued by the Complaints team by telephone or letter. The final response from the Complaints team also includes information on how to contact the Independent Case Examiner if the customer is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint.

Methodology

To address the aims of the research, Verian conducted 40 in-depth interviews via Teams audio call or telephone.

The sample consisted of 20 customers who had made a recent formal complaint that was closed (‘formal complainants’), and 20 customers who had used complaining language or demonstrated intent to complain on the phone to DWP, but who had not made a formal complaint (‘informal complainants’).

The research specifically engaged with customers who had either used complaining language or formally raised a complaint. Given the focus on these experiences, it was expected that the findings regarding DWP customer services would be predominantly negative.

It should be noted that throughout the research, participants demonstrated a lack of understanding of the complaints process and frequently cited that the process was unclear and confusing. In addition, participants typically conflated their views and experiences of trying to resolve a service issue with DWP, related to their benefits claim(s), with their subsequent complaint experience.

1.2 Research findings

Experiences of the complaints process

Informal and formal complainants reported varied experiences with the complaints process. Despite differences in complaint journeys, participants’ journeys followed a similar high-level pattern that consisted of 3 stages: First, the service issue, related to specific issues with individuals’ benefits claim, was the primary reason for engagement with DWP. Second, participants’ experiences of dissatisfaction with the customer service handling of either the service issue or themselves. Third, raising and pursuing the complaint regarding the unsatisfactory handling of either the initial service issue or the way they were treated by DWP agents.

Participants described their complaint journeys beginning with a range of service-related issues spanning DWP services. These included problems with benefit claims, delayed or incorrect payments, and dissatisfaction with health assessment outcomes.

Throughout the research, participants reported that the source of their complaint was dissatisfaction with customer service handling of either the initial service issue or the way they were treated. Participants’ complaints typically stemmed from 3, often interrelated, sources: poor customer service, communication failures, and procedural barriers.

Nearly all participants described long, complex and frustrating complaint journeys.  Participants cited attempts to resolve service issues and raise formal complaints that, for some, spanned months before entering the formal complaints process or giving up. For formal complainants, resolution, if achieved, was sometimes also drawn out over a long period of time.

Many in the sample were unsure about the formal complaints procedure and how to access it. This was most prominently demonstrated by participants who believed they had raised a formal complaint when, in reality, their complaint was not classed as a formal complaint by DWP. Other participants felt they were denied the opportunity to do so.

Formal complainants often conflated their views of the formal complaints procedure with their broader experiences of trying to resolve service issues with DWP. However, where participants were able to make the distinction, they generally perceived the level of customer service from the complaint resolution managers (in the Complaints team) to be higher compared to other DWP agents.

The research identified that the customer journey of raising a formal complaint with DWP services varied widely. Complainants were able to initiate their complaints through different channels, including DWP helplines, an online form for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Universal Credit (UC) customers, in writing, in person, via the online journal for UC customers and through Members of Parliament (MPs). When attempting to raise a formal complaint, some participants had their complaints acknowledged and resolved quickly, others described months of chasing for acknowledgement, action and resolution.

Customers that had their complaints acknowledged quickly and received follow-up calls from a complaint resolution manager felt reassured that their complaint was being dealt with appropriately. Customers also reported positive experiences when DWP agents took ownership of the issue, and demonstrated accountability, for either the point of complaint or the initial service issue. Additionally, formal complaints that had a quick resolution of the initial service issue following the submission of a formal complaint reported relatively high levels of satisfaction with the complaints journey.

Several common factors influenced the quality of the formal complaints experience. Factors that contributed to positive experiences included: acknowledgement of the complaint submission, timely follow-up calls from complaints resolution managers, quick resolution of the initial service issue, DWP ownership and accountability, and MP involvement. In contrast, factors that contributed to worse experiences included: a lack of acknowledgement, poor communication, drawn out resolution, and a lack of DWP ownership of the issue.

Why some customers complain when others don’t

The research identified 3 principal triggers to launching a formal complaint, these were: financial need, running out of emotional capacity, and a principled drive to act.

Key enablers to making a formal complaint emerged from the research these included having transferable skills and knowledge, having the resources (for example time, mental and emotional capacity and access to appropriate telephone/digital infrastructure) and motivation to launch and pursue a complaint.

Key barriers to initiating a formal complaint also emerged from the research. Barriers included a lack of visibility and accessibility of the formal complaints procedure and a lack of awareness and understanding of the complaints procedure together with a lack of skills, knowledge and motivation to pursue a complaint.

Where relevant, the research identified why some formal complaints were not pursued after being initially raised as formal complaints. Participants cited several deterrents, including poor customer service and inadequate communications, a perceived low likelihood of a successful outcome, and feeling physically, mentally or emotionally under-resourced to continue with the complaint.

2. Research background and methodology

2.1 Research rationale 

Complaints are essential for assessing and reporting on customer experience. Along with many other organisations in the public and private sector, DWP regularly publishes complaint statistics. However, there is limited understanding of the department’s customer behaviours, motivations and barriers to complaining, as well as experiences of the complaints service.

Gathering this evidence is crucial to improving the formal complaints procedure and reducing complaint volumes by improving DWP services. DWP commissioned Verian to gather qualitative insight into complaint drivers to support DWP’s efforts to reduce both the financial and reputational costs of complaints by enhancing service quality.

2.2 Research objectives

The primary objectives of this study were to:

• understand the complaints procedure from a customer perspective, consider what leads customers to complain and why some customers do not complain
• improve understanding of customer behaviours and emotional states around complaints

2.3 Research context

This research seeks to gather qualitative insight on the experiences of the small proportion of customers who have made formal complaints or have expressed dissatisfaction with DWP services. This research does not represent all DWP customers, instead it seeks to capture a range of views from customers who have accessed or tried to use the complaints service.

This research specifically engaged with customers who had either used complaining language or formally raised a complaint. Given the focus on these experiences, it was expected that the findings regarding DWP customer services would be predominantly negative.

For context, this section sets out the wider picture regarding DWP customer complaints and satisfaction, as well as the complaints procedure. 

DWP customer complaints and satisfaction

DWP has over 20 million customers using its services^{[footnote 9]}. In the financial year 2024 to 2025, Customer Satisfaction was 87%^{[footnote 10]}, a 2 percentage point increase from the financial year 2023 to 2024 when Customer Satisfaction was 85%^{[footnote 11]}, exceeding DWP’s “Good” benchmark of 85%.

Of its 20 million customers, in the financial year 2024 to 2025 DWP received around 23,700 complaints, less than 1% of the number of people supported by DWP’s benefits and services. Large service delivery organisations in the public and private sectors typically monitor and publish the number of complaints they receive. For example, in the financial year 2024 to 2025 HMRC reported they received over 90,000 complaints^{[footnote 12]}, the NHS received over 256,700 written complaints^{[footnote 13]}, and DVLA dealt with over 26,200 unique complaint cases^{[footnote 14]}. DWP, are no exception to this, and annually publish volumes of complaints received^{[footnote 15]}.

Whilst the number of complaints is very low in comparison to the DWP’s caseload, in order to improve and enhance services, the department commissioned Verian, an independent research organisation, to undertake 40 qualitative research with customers. The purpose of the research was to identify areas for improvements to the delivery and quality of services by gaining a better understanding of customers’ behaviours, motivations, and potential barriers to complaining, as well as their experiences of the complaints process. The research focused on customers who had raised a complaint or expressed dissatisfaction and so the findings are mainly negative. It should be noted, however, this research involved a very small number of customers and does not represent the experiences of all DWP customers, the majority of whom are satisfied with the services received.

The complaints procedure

It is important to contextualise the findings with the complaints procedure to understand the formal stages complainants experienced, which is as follows:

When a customer contacts DWP about an issue with the service they have received, DWP will work initially to resolve the issue, referred to in this report as the informal complaints procedure. If the customer is unhappy with the outcome, or with the way DWP has worked to resolve the issue, the customer can ask for the complaint to go to a senior manager to escalate as a formal complaint. The informal complainants who participated in this research are likely to have had an issue with the service they have received, but did not have any recorded formal complaint at the time fieldwork took place. It is also likely that the formal complainants who participated in this research have been through this initial stage before their issue became a formal complaint.

Following a complaint to the senior manager, a dedicated member of the Complaints team (a complaints resolution manager) will then contact the customer within 15 working days, usually by telephone, to talk about the complaint and agree how to investigate it. The complaints resolution manager will tell the customer the outcome or when they can expect a response. A final response outlining the outcome of the complaint is then issued by the Complaints team by telephone or letter. The final response from the Complaints team also includes information on how to contact the Independent Case Examiner if the customer is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint.

The procedure can be found on GOV.UK^{[footnote 16]}.

2.4 Research approach

This section sets out a summary of the research approach to aid reading the report.

To address the aims of the research, Verian undertook 40 in-depth interviews. Interviews were 45 to 60 minutes in duration and undertaken via Teams audio call or telephone.

The sample consisted of 20 customers who had made a recent formal complaint that was closed (hereafter referred to as ‘formal complainants’), and 20 customers who had used complaining language or demonstrated intent to complain on the phone to DWP, but who had not made a formal complaint (hereafter referred to as ‘informal complainants’).

2.5 How to interpret the information in this report

This research report outlines findings from 40 in-depth interviews and sets out experiences of the complaints procedure for DWP services as experienced by customers.

Qualitative research typically involves small sample sizes and is designed to be exploratory and provide insights into people’s perceptions, feelings and behaviours. In reviewing the findings set out in the report, it is important to acknowledge that the insights highlighted here are not intended to be representative of the views of all DWP customers. The findings instead outline a range of perceptions and experiences of the complaints journey that may provide learnings for DWP.

It is also important to note that the accuracy of participants’ recall, as well as their understanding of the services and the complaints procedure, may not fully align with the formal complaint pathway. For example, many participants in the informal complainants sample felt they had raised a formal complaint. However, these insights remain helpful and demonstrate the difficulties of engaging with the formal complaints procedure. In addition, participants typically conflated their views and experiences of trying to resolve a service issue with DWP, related to benefits, with their subsequent complaint experience.

Anonymised verbatim quotes have been used to help illustrate the findings.

2.6 Glossary: Acronyms

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Independent Case Examiner (ICE)

Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Universal Credit (UC)

3. Research findings

3.1 Experiences of the complaints procedure

This section provides a summary of customer experiences of complaining to DWP. It first sets out an overview of participants’ complaints journeys, followed by a deep dive into informal and formal complainants’ journeys, providing insights into their experiences at each stage of the journey.

It should be noted that throughout the research, participants demonstrated a lack of understanding of the complaints procedure and frequently cited that the procedure was unclear and confusing. Indeed, some formal complainants were not aware they had raised a formal complaint, while others were not aware that it was being processed or had been resolved. In addition, some informal complainants felt they had in fact raised a formal complaint.

Participants typically conflated their views and experiences of trying to resolve a benefits issue with DWP services with their subsequent complaint experience. Regardless of how well a formal complaint was handled, most formal complainants expressed frustration or anger that they had to raise a formal complaint to get the issue resolved.

Overview of participants’ complaint journeys 

The research identified that complaint journeys were long, complex and confusing for both informal and formal complainants.  

Throughout the research, participants cited repeated attempts to resolve issues and raise complaints over long periods of time before entering the formal complaints procedure or, in some cases, giving up. For participants who managed to raise a formal complaint, resolution, if achieved, was sometimes drawn out over a long period of time.

Informal and formal complainants reported varied experiences with the complaints journey. However, most felt the journey lacked appropriate levels of communication and that DWP customer services teams could be more supportive and empathetic. Furthermore, some formal complainants felt that the overall complaints journey took too long to reach a resolution. 

Despite variations in complaint journeys, they followed a similar high-level pattern that consisted of 3 stages. First, the service issue, this was the primary reason for engagement with DWP services. Second, participants’ experiences of dissatisfaction with the customer service handling of either the service issue or themselves. Third, raising and pursing the complaint regarding the unsatisfactory handling of either the service issue or themselves by DWP customer services.

Participants’ experiences of these 3 stages are summarised below.

Complaints journey stage 1: Complaints are preceded by issues customers want DWP to resolve

Before trying to make an informal or formal complaint, participants described their complaint journeys beginning with an issue that they want DWP to resolve. Issues reported by participants included errors in benefit claims, delayed or incorrect payments, or dissatisfaction with health assessment outcomes.

Participants’ attempts to resolve their issues are described further in the informal and formal complaints customer journey experiences later in this section. However, participants described attempting to resolve the issue for long periods of time, before making informal complaints or initiating a formal complaint. 

Complaints journey stage 2: Dissatisfaction with customer service handling

Throughout the research, participants reported that the source of their complaint was a dissatisfaction with the handling of either the initial service issue or the way they were treated. Participants’ complaints typically stemmed from 3, often interrelated sources: poor customer service, communication failures and procedural barriers.

Informal and formal complaints emerged from poor customer service. Participants described a range of negative interactions with DWP service agents, which they complained about informally or formally. For example, participants mentioned complaining about DWP agents being dismissive or rude, treating customers in what they felt to be a dehumanising manner, lacking adequate knowledge of benefits and failing to maintain accurate records, sometimes even losing critical documentation.

DWP customer services failing to communicate adequately regarding the initial service issue was cited by participants as a driver of complaints. Participants described not receiving letters and other promised correspondence, such as telephone calls, journal responses (UC), or emails. Participants also described struggling with unclear, incorrect, or inconsistent communications from DWP services, for example being provided contradictory guidance when transitioning from legacy benefits to UC. In addition, participants often reported their frustrations being exacerbated by long helpline wait times.

Procedural barriers preventing the resolution of a service issue were also an important driver of complaints, for example, limits to backdated benefit payments despite customers not being at fault. Here participants described feeling trapped, unable to resolve the initial issue because they felt the DWP system was too rigid and unresponsive. These frustrations with the perceived inflexibility of DWP systems extended not only to the initial service issue but also to the experience of raising and pursuing a complaint.

When considering the types of complaints and triggers for complaining the research identified little distinction between informal and formal complainants. Informal and formal complainants reported experiencing similar service issues and were triggered to launch a complaint (or attempt to complain in the case of informal complainants) by similar reasons.

Complaints journey stage 3: Raising and pursuing the complaint

As noted above, complaint journeys for both formal and informal complainants were typically long, complex, and confusing. Participants frequently described the experience as frustrating and challenging, with each stage of the complaint procedure regarded as a hurdle to jump, rather than a step to support. 

The research identified 3 intertwined key factors shaping customers’ experiences of the complaints stage:

• complexity of the initial service issue(s)
• DWP’s response and support
• complainants’ background and personal circumstances

Participants dealing with complex service issues, such as those affecting multiple benefits, described feeling particularly unconfident navigating the system. For example, participants reported feeling uncertain about which teams to contact when their complaint involved multiple services and subcontractors. Participants also highlighted that where their complaint involved multiple services and subcontractors this meant making multiple complaints, which was difficult to track and escalate.

DWP’s response and level of support also significantly influenced customers’ experiences when attempting to resolve an issue. Long call wait times, unfulfilled call-back promises, lost documentation, and inconsistent advice from DWP service agents were frequent sources of frustration. However, for some participants, the most distressing aspect of the complaints experience was the perceived failure of DWP to provide reasonable adjustments for customers with specific needs. Examples included requiring individuals with mobility or mental health issues to attend in-person Jobcentre Plus appointments or expecting customers who struggled to access online services to engage online without the support they felt they needed. In addition, participants with complex service issues reported that DWP services were often unable to understand the holistic nature of the problem for the customer. For these participants, the complaints procedure felt disjointed with an overall lack of ownership.

As outlined below, the research identified that complainants’ background and personal circumstances played an important role in their complaint journey experience. Formal complainants in the sample tended to have more prior experience of managing complaints or navigating institutional or bureaucratic systems and demonstrated greater confidence and resilience in pursuing their complaint journey. However, many participants experienced additional challenges, including physical and mental health conditions, neurodiversity, caring responsibilities, financial hardship, or struggled to access online services. These participants often reported finding their complaint journey overwhelming and difficult to navigate.

Formal complainant:

I don’t do technology. [There is] some online journal thing… I don’t even know how to upload [to it], I don’t even know what an upload is.

A customer’s background can affect how complex the initial service issue is, as well as the level of response and support required, all of which shaped customers’ experiences of the complaints procedure.

Customer journey experiences of informal complaints

This section provides an overview of the complaint journeys experienced by informal complainants (those who used complaining language but were not recognised by DWP as having made a formal complaint). This starts by exploring the source of their complaint, their attempts to progress their issue (and, in some cases, initiate a complaint), before considering the impact of their experiences on their well-being.

Informal complaint journey: Seeking resolution

As outlined above, informal complainants typically began their complaint journey when they encountered difficulties related to DWP’s communication, procedures, or the way they were treated. Participants’ descriptions of resolving these issues highlighted the need for persistence and effort, with individuals frequently reporting repeated interactions without clear progress.

Phone calls via DWP helplines were a common method of seeking resolution, although these often led to conflicting advice, call disconnections, or interactions with service agents who were unable to provide assistance or escalate the matter. Callbacks from senior agents were sometimes promised but not consistently received. However, when participants were called back by a senior agent, this did lead to a faster resolution.

Informal complainant:

Whenever I ask to speak to someone more senior it doesn’t happen, I just get a carousel of case managers telling me, ‘We can’t do that.’

UC recipients described engaging with DWP about their issue through the online journal. However, they reported that responses were not always forthcoming or did not fully address their concerns. Letters that participants expected as part of the resolution of the complaint did not always arrive, creating further obstacles.

Informal complaint journey: Attempting to progress or escalate the complaint

When informal complainants felt their efforts were not leading to a resolution, they sought alternative ways to progress their case. Requests for information on how to make a complaint were made through the UC journals or via the helplines, although responses were not always received or agents indicated that complaints could not be pursued in relation to claim outcomes without redirecting customers to the appropriate channels for challenging decisions.

Informal complainant:

My understanding was that you log a complaint and then a case manager gets back to you to try and resolve it. So that’s what I did, as I was at my wits end. That call was in September (2024), but I’m still waiting to hear back from them [2 months later].

One participant’s request to raise a formal complaint via the helpline led to their issue being resolved within 24 hours. This example shows how DWP agents taking ownership of a customers’ issues, resolving it quickly before escalating them to formal complaints, and communicating the outcome to the customer can improve customer experience.

Customers were often uncertain about whether a formal complaint had been successfully raised or whether the request had been treated as an escalation rather than a formal complaint. In some cases, written requests to raise a complaint were reportedly not recorded in the system, even, in one case, when a complainant had tracked delivery and followed up by phone.

Informal complainant:

I sent my original complaint by letter, and sent it tracked delivery so that I knew it had arrived. But I never got a response, so I followed up about it in my online journal and they confirmed the letter had got lost.” 

Informal complainants’ struggling to resolve issues through contact with DWP sought assistance from their MP as another means of addressing their concerns.

For informal complainants managing multiple responsibilities or personal challenges, the effort required to pursue a complaint could be overwhelming. Some chose not to escalate their concerns further, prioritising resolving the issue with the relevant DWP office over raising a formal complaint. Others believed that the issue(s) they were encountering stemmed from broader system limitations, leading them to question whether making a formal complaint would be effective.

Informal complaints’ experiences of seeking resolution and attempting to raise a formal complaint

The experience of trying to resolve an issue with the relevant DWP office frequently led to frustration amongst informal complainants. Informal complainants described carefully planning their interactions with DWP, particularly for those balancing work, caring responsibilities, or health conditions. Participants described planning calls to DWP, and follow-up calls, at times that allowed for extended waiting periods and detailed conversations. The procedure typically felt demanding, requiring significant energy and patience.

Informal complainant:

They insisted on only calling me during school hours when I specifically told them that wasn’t possible [participant works in a school]. I’ve already got depression and anxiety and the whole situation was really pushing me to the edge. I was just miserable because I could not get it resolved. It was on my mind.

In addition, informal complainants described how they perceive the financial implications of unresolved service issues, often affecting their ability to cover essential expenses. The uncertainty around resolution created additional stress, particularly when no clear timeframe was provided. In more severe cases, the prolonged financial difficulties had a significant emotional impact.

Beyond financial concerns, delays in resolving cases also affected access to related benefits. Informal complainants eligible for additional support, such as disability-related concessions, faced difficulties in securing this support. The overall experience left some questioning their trust in the system, particularly those who had previously viewed DWP as a reliable source of support. In certain cases, there was reluctance to engage with the complaints procedure at all, due to concerns about the time and effort involved.

Informal complainant:

I’m disillusioned that making a complaint will be worth the hassle. I imagine the process will be long and complicated given my dealings with DWP to date, and the systems they have in place.

When a resolution was reached, participants often recalled that the journey itself was stressful and the sense of relief at achieving an outcome did not always translate into confidence in the system.

Customer journey experiences of formal complaints

This section provides an overview of the complaint journeys experienced by formal complainants. This includes their experiences of beginning the formal complaints procedure, progressing their complaint and their views about complaint outcomes.

Formal complaint journey: Entering the formal complaints process

Formal complainants described different routes for entering the formal complaints process, including via a DWP helpline, online form (JSA and UC), in writing, in person, and via the online journal (UC) (these are all viable routes to complain, as per the guidance on GOV.UK.) Formal complainants who found it easier to raise a formal complaint reported better experiences. These participants reported either having their complaint handled or escalated to the Complaints teams on the first call or finding the online form or journal easy to complete. However, many participants reported experiencing barriers to raising a formal complaint and often cited self-guided online research (using search engines), risking exposure to misinformation online, and multiple attempts to raise a complaint using different routes.

Participants said they found little information or guidance on how to raise complaints about DWP services, nor what the complaints procedure consists of. Some formal complainants described researching the complaints procedure before trying to raise their complaint. When researching the complaints procedure, participants reported exploring online forums and doing internet searches on how to make a complaint about the DWP service.

Formal complainants in the sample typically reported that their complaint journey started with a call to the DWP helpline (as suggested on GOV.UK). The purpose of the call was to either ask about how to raise a complaint or to attempt to raise a complaint directly. Participants seeking to raise their complaint described hoping that a telephone call would result in the complaint being understood and responded to quickly. However, most reported that trying to raise a formal complaint via telephone was time consuming and frustrating. They described being on hold for long periods of time and often being cut off at the point of getting through.

Participants described a range of outcomes from that initial call which included:

• submitting a formal complaint via the customer service agent
• being told they could not raise a complaint via telephone
• being advised they would need to speak to someone more senior to raise a complaint (as suggested on GOV.UK)
• being advised to raise the complaint either in writing, via an online complaints form (JSA and UC) or through the online journal (UC)
• being advised that they couldn’t raise a complaint at all

Online searches typically directed participants to the DWP online complaints form (JSA and UC) or the online journal (UC). Participants that used the form and journal reported a range of views with some finding them easy to use and others struggling. Some participants reported insufficient space or characters in these online modes for their complaint. There were cases where individuals reported losing all content when the online form timed out without indication or warning.

Formal complainant:

I decided to make a complaint on the online form, as a backup to the complaint I raised on the phone that day. I typed out the details, which took almost an hour, but got timed out at the point of hitting send. All my typed information was lost. I got no warning there was a time limit, or that it would time out. I was just sick of the whole process by then.

Some formal complainants reported having been told the online journal (UC) was the only way to raise their complaint. Therefore, those who struggle to access online services had to depend on family members to complete the online journal entry for them.

Among participants who submitted their complaint in writing, there were reports of letters being lost by DWP. This included an example where the complainant had sent a letter using tracked delivery.

A small number of participants reported going directly to their MP with their complaint when the individual had prior experience of contacting their MP about benefits or other issues, or when they had struggled to identify an alternative route to raise a complaint.

Formal complaint journey: Complaint progression

As highlighted earlier in this section, complainants often conflated their views of the formal complaints procedure with their broader experiences of trying to resolve issues with DWP. However, where participants were able to make the distinction, they generally perceived the level of customer service from complaints resolution managers (the Complaints team) to be higher compared to other DWP customer service teams.

Upon entering the formal complaints procedure, participants’ experiences varied significantly. Some participants had their complaints quickly acknowledged and resolved, whilst others described months of chasing for action and resolution. However, the research identified common factors that contributed to better or worse experiences of the formal complaints procedure. 

Factors that contributed to a better complaint journey

Factors that contributed to better experiences included:

• acknowledgement the complaint had been escalated to the formal complaints procedure
• timely follow-up calls from complaints resolution managers
• quick resolution of the initial service issue
• DWP ownership and accountability
• involving MPs

Acknowledgement of the formal complaint submission emerged as a key point in participants’ complaint journeys. Formal complainants who received acknowledgement of their complaint described feeling reassured that the complaint was being handled and to some extent recognised by DWP. Those who did not receive acknowledgement of their complaint were often unsure they had raised the complaint correctly, or described feeling concerned the complaint had been lost or forgotten about.

Where follow-up calls from the complaint resolution managers were received (and recognised by customers as such), participants felt reassured that their complaint was being managed. Notably, participants often praised complaints resolution managers for their helpful and friendly phone manner.

Formal complaints that had a quick resolution of the initial service issue following the submission of a formal complaint reported relatively high levels of satisfaction with the complaints journey. Some participants reported that the follow-up call from the complaint resolution manager led to their issue being resolved relatively easily and quickly, with, for example, benefits being reinstated.

Some participants also reported positive experiences of DWP services and customer service agents taking ownership, and being accountable, for either the point of complaint or the initial service issue. DWP ownership and accountability for issues resulting from DWP error or complaints regarding DWP customer service was a key outcome participants said they were looking for when raising a formal complaint.

Several participants in the sample described escalating their complaint with their MP, having already raised their complaint with the relevant DWP office (or at least they believed they had). Participants reported taking their complaint to their MP when they felt they were ‘getting nowhere’ with the DWP. Participants described the involvement of their MPs as expediating the progress and resolution of their complaint, often after long periods of stagnation.

Formal complainant:

It had been over 5 months since I’d heard anything from DWP and I didn’t know what else to do but contact my MP, as I had hit rock bottom. I told him the system doesn’t work, and he was able to get the tribunal in place.

Factors that contributed to a worse complaint journey

Factors that contributed to worse complaint journey experiences included:

• a lack of acknowledgement that a complaint had been escalated to the formal complaints procedure
• poor communication
• drawn out resolution
• lack of DWP ownership of the issue

Formal complainants in the sample frequently cited receiving no acknowledgement of their complaints. Participants described feeling ‘left in the dark’ about their complaint, unsure if their complaint had been received or was being handled. This was specifically an issue amongst formal complainants raising complaints via the online UC journal. Here, participants reported that their complaints via the online UC journal entries were not only unacknowledged but were often not responded to, leaving participants feeling their complaint had been ignored.

Poor communication was a commonly reported pain point in customers’ formal complaint journeys. Issues included perceived broken promises, not being kept informed, and a lack of clarity around the purpose or content of communications. Experiences outlined by participants included a lack of communication over weeks and months, unclear communications, and poor customer service attitudes. For example, participants who received follow-up calls to acknowledge the complaint were often promised further communications that were not received, including telephone calls and letters. The lack of communication on the complaint and its progression led some participants to raise second and even third complaints, feeling they had waited too long for communications on the initial complaint.

Formal complainant:

I kept phoning up, phoning up, phoning up and [I] just kept getting the same response and they’d keep saying, okay we’ll look into it. They don’t look into it.

Formal complainants also described experiencing unclear communications regarding their complaints. For example, some participants reported receiving phone calls that worked to resolve the initial service issue (and the complaint), but the DWP service agent didn’t make their role clear. Other participants describe receiving letters that they didn’t understand.

Formal complainant:

“I received a call within days of making my complaint, which fixed my account and sorted out my Universal Credit payments. Though it’s hard to say if my complaint caused the call to happen, or if all my other calls to DWP were finally being reviewed.”

In addition, formal complainants frequently cited experiencing poor customer service, and unempathetic attitudes from DWP agents. Participants highlighted that this made pursing complaints not only challenging but demoralising and degrading. 

As outlined above, formal complainants felt the journey from raising a complaint to reaching a resolution or an outcome took too long which contributed to a worse customer journey.

Finally, it should be acknowledged that a minority of formal complainants reported DWP services acknowledging or apologising for the issue. However, most said that DWP services rarely took ownership of the complaint or (if different to the complaint) the initial service issue.

Formal complaint journey: Complaint outcomes  

Participants’ satisfaction with the outcome of the complaint varied. Those who reported feeling satisfied tended to have cases where the complaint was directly about the initial service issue; for example, where participants required a refund or reinstatement of their benefits, and this was achieved.

Formal complainant:

“I had a really long conversation with the lady there who knew exactly what she was talking about…She agreed that it should have been dealt with previously.”

In contrast, where participants felt their issues had not been fully addressed or they disagreed with DWP’s interpretation of the issue, they reported frustration and anger. Reflecting on their journeys, participants typically highlighted that the journey from raising a formal complaint to reaching a resolution took too long. They were also generally dissatisfied with their full complaint journey and the perceived lack of communication throughout.

Formal complainant:

“At one level it was good to have my issue resolved and get the backdated Universal Credit payments too. But it shouldn’t have taken a complaint to make that happen. The letter and response they sent me go no way to remediating the failures.”

3.2 Why some customers complain when others don’t

This section of the report outlines insights drawn from the research. The research identified 4 types of influencing factors on making a formal or informal complaint: enablers, triggers, barriers, and blockers. Enablers are factors that facilitated or encouraged them to follow through with making a formal complaint, while triggers refer to specific issues that prompted a customer to consider complaining. Barriers refer to challenges or difficulties that made it harder for informal complainants to raise a formal complaint, while blockers are obstacles that deterred formal complainants from continuing with their complaint.

Enablers of making a formal complaint from a customer perspective

The research identified that a customer’s background, circumstances, motivation and awareness of the complaints procedure contributed to their ability to raise and pursue a formal complaint and with DWP services. Three key enablers to making a formal complaint emerged: transferable skills and knowledge, resources to pursue a complaint, and motivation to pursue a complaint.

Transferable skills and knowledge

Formal complainants in the sample demonstrated having transferable skills and knowledge that enabled them to raise and pursue a formal complaint. Many had experience navigating institutional or bureaucratic systems, often due to their occupational backgrounds, which provided them with the familiarity and skills needed to manage complex processes. Some had prior experience of raising formal complaints with government agencies or similar bodies, such as housing associations. Others had a strong understanding of the benefits system and/or finance which facilitated their capacity to raise a formal complaint.

The research found that informal complainants often lacked the transferrable skills, knowledge or prior experience needed to navigate the formal complaints procedure. In contrast to formal complainants, informal complainants tended to demonstrate less experience in making complaints. Participants in the informal complaints sample frequently reported feeling that launching a formal complaint would be complex and difficult and they would be unable to navigate the process. Furthermore, informal complainants who participated in this research were less likely to have occupational backgrounds with transferable skills and knowledge that would help them navigate institutional systems.

Resources to pursue a complaint

The research identified that formal complainants had the resources to pursue a complaint through the entire journey. Resources included having the time, together with mental and emotional capacity, as well as access to appropriate tools (for example access to the internet or telephone), to enable them to complain online, via telephone or in writing. Formal complainants also reported past experiences of raising complaints, and as such raising a complaint was seen to be a normal and acceptable course of action.

Triggers to making a formal complaint

The research identified 3 triggers to launching a formal complaint: financial need, running out of emotional capacity and a principled drive to act (to protect more vulnerable people).

Financial need

Formal complainants who had experienced benefit reductions or issues with reimbursement often reported financial need as the trigger to initiating a complaint. Participants reported experiencing financial hardship as a result of an initial service issue, and some described being at risk of extreme poverty if the issue was not resolved quickly or, in cases where benefits had been reduced or suspended, their benefits restored.

Running out of emotional capacity

Participants often described running out of emotional capacity after trying to resolve the initial service issue. Participants reported feeling that they had run out of mental and emotional energy to keep chasing up or trying to work with the relevant DWP office to resolve the issue. Other participants reported feeling that they had run out of options for reaching a resolution on their issue and raising a formal complaint was all that was left for them to pursue.

Goodwill

Throughout the research participants reported feeling the need to raise a formal complaint to improve the service and protect more vulnerable service users. Formal complainants described feeling that more vulnerable service users might not be able to resolve the issue with DWP or cope with the customer service they had experienced, and as such it was important for them to raise a complaint.

Importantly, formal complainants also had the necessary skills as well as drive to start and pursue a formal complaint following the trigger.

Barriers to making a formal complaint

Three key barriers to initiating a formal complaint emerged: Lack of awareness of the complaints procedure, visibility and accessibility of the complaints procedure, and motivational barriers to make a complaint.

Lack of awareness of the complaints procedure

Informal complainants were often unaware of the existence of a formal complaints procedure. Although participants were aware of the various communications channels (telephone, letter, online journal (UC), and in person at the Jobcentre Plus) there was uncertainty about which mode would allow a customer to raise a complaint. Moreover, informal complainants often felt that they had raised a formal complaint when complaining to DWP agents and were not aware that there was a formal complaints pathway. 

Formal complainants were more likely than informal complainants to either be aware of DWP having a formal complaints procedure or to have the capacity to identify the complaints procedure through research. However, formal complainants often highlighted that the formal complaints procedure was difficult to identify and access.

Visibility and accessibility of the formal complaints procedure

Both informal and formal complainants in the sample reported feeling that the formal complaints procedure was not sufficiently visible or signposted by DWP customer services. Participants reported being unable to find a dedicated webpage, email address or phone number.  

Formal complainants reported ‘discovering’ the formal complaint procedure after spending months trying to resolve their initial service issue.

Informal complainants were either unable to identify the procedure or unable to access it. Some informal complainants described being aware that a formal complaints procedure would exist but were unable to identify it. Participants reported looking for information and/or asking DWP customer service agents but were unable to find, or were not given, the information they required.

Informal complainant:

There are no contact numbers to get hold of them. There are no email addresses to send the complaint to. The next step I was thinking of doing now is uploading it to my journal and seeing if it gets escalated like that.

Other informal complainants reported not being able to access the complaints procedure or feeling that they had been prevented from accessing it. Those that reported being unable to access the complaints procedure described being instructed to launch a complaint using a specific channel, to which they had little or no access. Channels varied and included launching a complaint via telephone, online, in-person. For example, raising a formal complaint in person (at a Jobcentre Plus) could be inaccessible to those with disabilities and impairments. Others felt that online reporting (via a form or the online UC journal) was not accessible on account of their neurodivergence, cognitive impairments, and/or their general struggle to access online services.

Informal complainants that felt they had been blocked from accessing the formal complaints procedure described raising complaints via a DWP helpline or through the online journal (UC) that were not escalated. Some participants reported being told they needed to speak to someone more senior, and then being refused this, or being told that they could not raise a complaint. Other informal complainants were told that they could not raise a complaint about a DWP subcontractor (for example medial assessors) through DWP, and they would have to raise their issue directly with the subcontractor.

Informal complainants with accessibility needs sometimes felt overwhelmed by their interactions with DWP services, particularly when engaging with written communications, lengthy telephone conversations or having to recall specific details such as times and dates. For example, one neurodivergent participant described struggling with paperwork and reading letters, highlighting the challenges of processing complex information. Such difficulties made initiating and pursuing a formal complaint feel daunting, and in some cases, inaccessible.  

Motivational barriers to making a complaint

Informal complainants cited a range of motivational barriers to launching a formal complaint. Motivational barriers included a perception that the complaints journey would be difficult and that DWP customer service would be poor, feeling physically, mentally or emotionally under-resourced to raise a complaint, lacking hope that their complaint would make a difference, and a fear that launching a formal complaint might impact their treatment by DWP customer services.

Where informal complainants were unwilling to launch a formal complaint because they believed the complaints journey would be difficult, this was typically based on past experiences of poor DWP customer service. For example, participants were put off raising formal complaints by long waits on DWP phonelines before being connected to an agent.

Participants, most commonly informal complainants, described feeling physically, mentally or emotionally under-resourced to raise a complaint. Participants described feeling that they could not withstand any further ‘struggle’ or ‘fight’ with DWP services after trying to get the initial service issue resolved. Some participants reported that, at the time, their physical, mental and/or emotional health was not good enough to undertake any action other than what was absolutely necessary. As such, launching a formal complaint was simply not feasible. Other participants reported that they were already overburdened or ‘burnt out’ having to deal with a range of stresses in their day-to-day life, such as financial hardship, work disputes and health issues, as well as the initial service issue – and as such had little to no energy or bandwidth left to try to undertake an additional difficult and stressful task.

A minority of informal complainants also reported a fear that making a complaint might impact their treatment by DWP services. These participants believed that making a formal complaint would identify them as a ‘troublemaker’ and put them at greater risk of being treated unfairly by DWP agents. 

Blockers to pursuing a formal complaint

The research explored why some formal complaints were not pursued after being initially raised. Participants cited several deterrents, including poor customer service and inadequate communications and a perceived low likelihood of a successful outcome.

Poor customer service and inadequate communications

Formal complainants cited ‘giving up’ on formal complaints due to poor customer service and inadequate communications from DWP services and complaints resolution managers. Participants reported finding progressive stages of the complaints procedure to be hurdles, rather than a step to support. Others reported receiving few communications from DWP, or recalled minimal communications, regarding their complaint. Formal complainants that did recall receiving letters and/or phone calls from the complaints resolution managers often felt these were confusing. Participants described being unaware of the purpose of phones calls from complaints resolution managers and finding letters too information dense and complex to understand. As a result, some participants reported withdrawing from the complaints procedure.

Perceived limited chances of successful outcome

Some formal complainants reported stepping back from the formal complaints procedure because they felt the chances of a successful outcome were low. Participants complaining about a service issue described feeling that their case was not strong enough or that they lacked sufficient evidence. In some cases, participants had not kept a complete record of their interactions. Other formal complainants highlighted that DWP services had failed to maintain accurate records or not provided promised communications, which undermined their ability to make their case.

Formal complainant:

[From a letter explaining the complaints procedure] they made it sound like it was going to [be] really difficult … and I thought I had little chance of winning it.

The time limit for responding to and pursuing a complaint, set out in communications from complaints resolution managers, dissuaded some formal complainants from pursuing their complaint. These participants felt that the time given for responding to and pursuing a complaint was too short for them to process the information, prepare a response and respond to the communication.

4. Key takeaways from the research

• For customers across this sample, complaint journeys were typically long, confusing and drawn out. Both formal and informal complainants reported attempting to resolve issues and raise complaints for months, before entering the formal complaints procedure or, in some cases, giving up. For formal complainants, resolution, if achieved, was also often drawn out over a long period of time.

• The research identified that a customer’s background, circumstances, motivation and awareness of the complaints procedure contributed to their ability to raise and pursue a formal complaint.

• Three principal triggers to launching a formal complaint were identified: financial need, running out of emotional capacity and goodwill.

• Two key enablers to making a formal complaint emerged: transferable skills and knowledge as well as having the resources (for example time, mental and emotional capacity and access to appropriate infrastructure) to pursue a complaint (financial need, principle).

• The research identified 3 key barriers to launching a formal complaint: limited visibility and accessibility of the formal complaints procedure, a lack of awareness of the complaints procedure and concerns about making a complaint.

• Complaints resolution managers (where interactions were known to be with them) were seen to deliver a broadly positive experience.

• Factors that contributed to positive experiences included: acknowledgement of the complaint submission, timely follow-up calls from complaints resolution managers, quick resolution of the initial service issue, DWP ownership and accountability, and MP involvement.

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